1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for cleaning an optical fiber, and, more particularly, to such cleaning apparatus for in-line use during the winding of the fiber onto a canister or bobbin to form a missile data link and which operates in a manner so as not to subject the fiber to undue stress or bending.
2. Description of Related Art
A standard technique at the present time for cleaning a fiber either prior to inspection or prior to winding onto a bobbin is to pass it into contact with a dry sponge pad or the like for removing particulate materials from the fiber, for example. This technique is subject to the disadvantage of risking the entrapment of these particulates within the pad themselves which subsequently abrade the fiber as it moves against the sponge pad damaging the buffer coating.
Another known method of cleaning the fiber consists of moving it along a path through a tank of solvent which can either be at rest or moving in a counterdirection, for example. The fiber is moved along this path by a set of pulleys having peripheral grooves within which the fiber is frictionally engaged. This system has the disadvantage of risk of damaging the fiber by the contact pressure of the pulleys which can force particulate matter residing on the fiber surface deeper into the fiber coating. In this case, such a fiber upon being subsequently wound onto a canister or bobbin results in increased stress at the point of the embedded particulate matter which can produce either or both increased loss of optical signal as well as a reduction in the structural integrity of the fiber.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide apparatus and method for cleaning an optical fiber which can operate in line with the winding of the fiber onto a canister or bobbin and which does not subject the fiber during cleaning to undue stress, bending or kinking. In addition, the cleaning apparatus should remove surface particulate material without risking the embedding of the particulate material within the fiber buffer coating.